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METALLURGICAL FURNACE. No. 513.614. Patented Jan. 30, 18 94.

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FFICE CHRISTOPHER JAMES, OF SWANSEA, AND WILLIAM GRIFFITHS, OF HURRYPORT, ENGLAND.

M ETALLU RGICAL FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,614, dated January30, 1894. Application filed July 20, 1893. Serial No. 480,976. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Re it known that we, CHRISTOPHER JAMES,

residing at Swansea, and WILLIAM GRIFFITHS, residing at Burry Port,South Wales, England, have invented Improvements in the Construction ofMetallurgical Furnaces, of which the following is a specification. Ourinvention relates to an improvement 1n the construction of the bottomsof metallurgical furnaces whereby they are more cheaply made, will lastmuch longer without repairs or renewal, are especially non-conducting toheat, and will not absorb to any appreciable extent the melted chargesof metal, such as copper, silver, lead, or gold.

The bottoms of furnaces, used in metallurgical operations, are atpresent usually made of sand in two layers, which have to be seasoned,melted, and cooled, before use; these bottoms are expensive to keep inrepair and to renew, and absorb large quantities of the charges meltedon them,whether copper alone, or copper containing gold and silver, orlead in like manner, rich in the precious metals, thus locking up heavyamounts of capital that in many works may be represented by twentythousand pounds to thirty thousand pounds; or where gold and silver areworked, by sums even much higher. Our invention is designed to obviatethese disadvantages.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through a metallurgicalfurnace,with the bed or bottom constructed according to our improvement.Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, through X X. Fig. 8 is atransverse section of the same, through Y Y. Fig. 4Z1; a transversesection of the same, through Our invention consists in building thebottom of the furnace of Dynas or other refractory bricks, in a concaveor inverted arched manner, so that they cannot rise by buoy- I ancyunder the charge, or by expansion,

grouted and laid upon a bed of brasque, composed of two parts ofcoke-dust, and one of clay, which is an excellent non-conductor of heat,and is useful in retaining the bottom heat of the furnace.

Our invention is applicable to all classes of furnaces, whetherreverberatories, or cupolas, and in order that our invention may be thebetter understood,we now proceed to describe the particular constructionof bottom, appli cable in one form, as an example, to a reverberatoryfurnace, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed, and to theletters marked thereon.

We lay over the furnace vault V, a layer of three or four inches ofbrasque C, as aforesaid, ground together and intimately mixed withwater, until it adheres suificiently to ball. This layer is beaten hard,and carefully shaped to give a slightly concave bed for the workingbottom of Dynas, or other refractory brick B, to be formed on it. Theconcavity of the shaped layer of brasque is important, in so far thatthe strength and permanence of the brick bottom depends largely on theregularity and perfection of the curved bed, forming the brick work intoan inverted arch, and so preventing the brickwork from rising orbreaking upward, when the molten charge rest-s andworks upon. it. Whenthe shaped brasque bed is so prepared, and dried, the bricks are laidupon it either on end, on edge, or on the flat, according to the natureof the charge to be Worked, and the thickness of brickwork desired. Thebricks are grouted with the same material as that of which the bricksare made. The brick bed is laid over all the inside of the furnacecasing, and is firmly held down in any convenient manner. A tap hole Tand gutter G are provided in the bed for the complete removal of themolten charge. As soon as the moisture from the brasque and grouting hasbeen dried off, the furnace is ready for immediate use, without anymelting or further seasoning.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is- A metallurgical furnace consisting of a vault orsupport, a layer of brasque composed of cokedust and clay forming aconcave bed and refractory brick covering said bed in the shape of aninverted arch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER JAMES. WILLIAM GRIFFITHS. Witnesses:

JOHN B. FERGUSON, CHARLES M. HoL'roN.

